Media storage systems are well-known in the art and are commonly used to store data cartridges at known locations and to retrieve desired data cartridges as needed so that data may be written to and/or read from the data cartridges. Such media storage systems are also often referred to as autochangers or library storage systems.
A typical media storage system may be provided with a cartridge-engaging assembly or “picker” for engaging the various data cartridges stored therein. The cartridge-engaging assembly typically also includes a positioning device for moving the cartridge-engaging assembly within the media storage system to transport the data cartridges therein. For example, the cartridge-engaging assembly may transport a data cartridge from a “mail slot” for loading data cartridges into the media storage system, to a storage magazine. Alternatively, the cartridge-engaging assembly may transport a data cartridge stored in a storage magazine to a cartridge read/write device.
Storage magazines generally serve to provide storage locations for the data cartridges in the media storage system. The storage magazines may be located at any convenient position in the media storage system, and typically are arranged so that they form one or more vertical stacks, although other arrangements are also possible.
The data cartridges are typically stored in individual storage locations formed within the storage magazines. These storage locations may be individually defined by divider walls that separate adjacent storage locations from one another. Accordingly, each data cartridge may be separately stored in an individual storage location that is readily identified in the storage magazine so that each data cartridge can be readily retrieved for access to the data stored thereon.
Storage magazines having individual storage locations, such as those just described, necessarily incorporate undesirable overhead into the design of the media storage system (i.e., each divider wall takes up space that cannot be used to store data cartridges). Although the divider walls may be very thin, the dividers still significantly reduce the storage density of the media storage system (i.e., the number of data cartridges that can be stored in a defined space). For example, a single 4 millimeter (mm) divider wall used between two storage locations each sized for a 21.4 mm linear tape open (LTO) data cartridge reduces the available capacity of the storage magazine by nearly 10%.
In addition, the individual storage locations in the storage magazine must be manufactured to a precise tolerance so that the data cartridges can be inserted and withdrawn without becoming twisted and lodged between the dividers during operation. Likewise, the storage magazines must be separately manufactured, or retrofitted, for use with different sizes of data cartridges (e.g., digital linear tape (DLT) and LTO data cartridges). These factors tend to increase the cost of manufacture and/or use of the storage magazines.